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A skunk tested positive for rabies after it bit a dog on Quail Road in Longmont on Wednesday.
A dog owner called animal control on Wednesday after his dog was bitten on the leg and paw by a skunk, according to a press release from Boulder County Public Health. Animal control later submitted the skunk for rabies testing. After the skunk tested positive for rabies, a risk assessment was carried out for the dog and the dog owner.
“Fortunately, this pet owner realized that rabies might exist and they did the right thing by reaching out to animal controls to get the skunk tested,” said Carol McInnes, environmental health specialist in public health for Boulder County Press release.
Pets that are not vaccinated against rabies may need to be euthanized or quarantined for four months if the pet comes into contact with a rabid animal.
BCPH spokeswoman Angela Simental said another skunk that appeared to have rabies was seen near Quail Road about three weeks before the incident Wednesday. The skunk has not been tested and the health authorities do not know if it had rabies.
BCPH advises anyone who has a pet that may have been in contact with wildlife or sees a wild animal or stray pet that looks sick or is behaving abnormally to call their local animal control office. Other animals that can carry rabies are raccoons, bats, and foxes.
If a person or pet has been bitten by or had contact with a bat or other wildlife, seek medical advice immediately and call your local Animal Control Agency or Boulder County Public Health at 303-441-1564.
This is the second skunk to test positive for rabies this season in Boulder County. A skunk found in Superior in April tested positive after residents reported it was acting strangely.
